Audio visual programmer



Nov. 11, 1969 w. GREENWALD AUDIO VISUAL PROGRAMMER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2Q. 1967 Mm W w W B .4 a 6 1 2 5: 1 F

w. GREENWALD 3,478,345

AUDIO VISUAL PROGRAMMER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 as Rufio E Nov. 11, 1969 Filed June 20. 1967 3 EL V HOfi agbuq 8K hun United States Patent O ,478,345 AUDIO VISUAL PROGRAMMER William Greenwald, 77 Beverly Place, Levittown, N.Y. 11756 Filed June 20, 1967, Ser. No. 647,399 Int. Cl. G09]: 13/00 US. Cl. 340338 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for controlling the operation of a plurality of electrical apparatus in accordance with a prearranged cueing schedule by placing contacting cam pins in slots on a rotating drum switch wherever an instruction is to be given. A row of individual switches, each of which is connected to one of the electrical apparatus, are placed in physical contact to the cam pins. At the arrival of a subsequent cue, the drum switch rotates to the next slot contacting specifically preset cams with specific individual switches completing their electric circuits. A pulse is automatically sent through the system and places through those completed circuits energizing the apparatus. The individual switches are grouped into separate sections to permit commencing operation at any desired section. The drum can be rotated manually without initiating any pulses so the program can begin in the middle of a section.

This invention relates to a programming device and more particularly to an electrical device for controlling a plurality of electrical apparatus.

In the fields of advertising or education, a presentation in the form of a lecture or demonstration often requires the use of electrical apparatus. A speaker will frequently require the use of a slide film or a tape recorded to elaborate on the topic. In many instances, lights are also used at specific intervals to provide various eifects. More complicated presentations may require the interspersed usage of slide projectors, sound film projectors, dissolver controls, tape recorders, lighting equipment, motors, electrically controlled curtains and draperies, etc. In producing a show the constant switching and controlling of equipment becomes a difficult and burdensome task.

Heretofore, the electrical apparatus used in a program was generally controlled manually. Predetermined cue sheets were arranged and trained personnel were required to switch on and off the necessary equipment at the desired moment. As the number of pieces of equipment increased, it was necessary to employ a number of men in a single program.

Automatic devices have been used in some cases but the mechanism involved and the limit of the control did not permit general usage of these items. The patent to A. P. Honey on a Program Clock, Patent No. 1,237,517, presented a time-controlled unit for school bells which could be preset for a week according to a predetermined program. However, the device was based on a clock system and numerous mechanical gearing arrangements which resulted in a bulky and relatively slow device. More recently, faster devices have been developed such as the Punch Card Control System by L. L. Neidenberg et al., Patent No. 2,930,941. All these devices, however, require massive equipment, large systems, expensive material, and are all based on timing devices.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a control device for electrical apparatus which is small, lightweight and inexpensive.

Afurther object is to provide a device capable of controlling 6 pieces of equipment with 540 individual instructions to each piece of equipment.

A further object of the invention is to provide auto- 3,478,345 Patented Nov. 11, 1969 matic control of electrical equipment according to a p earranged scheduled program.

Another object is to provide a programming device capableof being controlled by either a hand control pushbutton or by tape recorded signals.

Still a further object is to provide a control system for electrical apparatus which can be preset with ease according to a predetermined schedule and can at any time be changed or rearranged in the field.

Another object of this invention is to provide a programming control system which is broken up into units such that the system can be started at any section desired without disrupting the other sections.

. Further objects and purposes of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which:

FIG/1 is a perspective drawing of the apparatus as described hereinafter and placed in an attache case for portability;

FIG. 2 is a one-dimensional view of the switching control unit;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the instant invention;

.FIG. 4 is a drawing of a camming pin used in conjunction with this invention.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Before considering the details of the apparatus control, a brief description will be given of the general organization thereof.

A rotating drum switch 12 with sixty slots 18, numbered consecutively at both ends, is controlled by step button 14 to advance a single slot for each step. Cam pins 16 (FIG. 4) are located in the slots of the drum. The cam pins can be preset as desired.

A row of contact switches 20 are spaced adjacent to the rotating drum and within contact of the camming pins. As the drum is caused to advance step-by-step, the presence of a camming pin contacts the adjacent contact switch to generate an electrical pulse signal.

The contact switches are grouped into nine banks with each bank containing six contact switches making a total of 54 contact switches. Six external plug-in connections 22 are provided within the unit. The same respective contact switches within each bank are interconnected and also connected to a single external plug-in connection. Thus, the first switch in each of the nine banks is interconnected and also connects to the first of the six plug-in connections. So, also, for the second contact switches of each bank, etc.

Only one of the nine banks is energized at atime. The step switch activates the drum for step-by-step rotation for its sixty positions. During any set of sixty positions, 2. single bank is in operation. As the drum begins its sixty-first step, the nevt bank is energized. For each of the nine banks there are sixty steps of rotation providing 540 individual switching steps.

As each bank is energized, a corresponding neon bulb 24 is lit to indicate its activation. The neon will remain lit through sixty steps. Thus neon 24a is lit through steps 1-60, neon 24b through steps 61-120 and finally, neon 241 through steps 481-540. A step counter 26 counts the individual step advances for correspondence with a predetermined cueing sheet. At the conclusion of a particular program, after 540 steps or other intermediate point, the program off neon 25 can be made to light up by providing a switch triggered by a cam and the same switch can be used to reset the drum to the initial starting point.

Line 28 is connected to an AC. source. Switch 30 controls the on-otf power of the device through fuse 33 with neon 32 being lit when the power is on. Switch 34 can select a particular bank. Should it be desired to begin at step 181, which is the beginning of bank four, selector 34 is advanced to bank four and the first three banks will be skipped. Reset 36 can at any time reset the bank selector to its initial position at step one, the standby position. The drum can now be manually set to any position. Alternatively, automatic reset means can be provided, as will be disclosed hereinafter.

The device is used in the following manner: When a show or program is being prepared, it is decided what electrical apparatus is to be used. A cueing sheet is set up indicating at exactly what point lights should go on or olf; the curtain should go up or down; the slides should advance; the tape recording should play; etc. Cam pins are then placed onto the rotating drum to correspond with the cueing sheet. For example, assume a spotlight is connected to the first external plug-in, a curtain motor to the second, a slide projector to the third, and a tape recorder to the fourth. At the first cue it is desired for the curtain to go up and the spotlight to go on. A cam pin would be placed on in the first slot adjacent to contact switches 1 and 2. At the next cue the slide projector should project another slide. A cam pin would then be placed on step 2 adjacent to switch three. The entire show is thus preset with cam pins in accordance with the predetermined cueing sheet. It is then possible for a single individual, and often the speaker himself, to control all the equipment properly and exactly on schedule. As the next cue appears, the step button is depressed and all appropriate equipment reacts as desired.

If the program director desires to leave out part of the show or to begin the show in the middle, the bank selector can automatically select a particular section as a starting point.

The device is small, portable and light enough to be easily hand carried. It is compact enough to fit into an attach case as shown in FIG. 1. By way of example, the device disclosed herein can handle 540 cues. Obviously, a greater number of banks can be provided. After the last one a signal may be generated to trigger a second unit to extend operation to 1080 cues, and a final pulse can be derived from this unit to trigger a third unit and so on to further units if required.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 3, a detailed description of the necessary circuitry of the device will be presented.

An A.C. source 40 is provided through cable 28. Switch 30 in series with a fuse 33 are in series with the voltage source. Switch 30 is placed in ON position for operation of the device.

Rectifier circuit 41, in the form of a diode bridge, has its input connected between the A.C. source and an end of push button step switch 30. A step drive control mechanism such as a Ledex stepping relay is connected in series with a resistor 43 to the output side of rectifier 41. The step drive 42 is mechanically connected to an interrupter contact 44 which is in parallel with are suppressor 45. When step drive 42 is energized, contact 44 is opened to deenergize solenoid 46 to leave certain circuits in an energized condition. This permits manual rotation of the drum without actuating external devices, as will be explained hereinafter. One end of the parallel combination is connected directly to the A.C. line and the other end is connected to the coil 46 of a double pole double throw relay. The other end of relay 46 is attached to the opposite side of the A.C. source. Relay 46 is thus normally energized with blade 47 connected to contact 48b and blade 49 in contact with contact 50a. Contact 48a is a dummy contact; contact 48b is connected to one side of relay 51, the other end of which is connected to the A.C. source. Contact 50b is a dummy contact. Contact 50a is connected to a capacitor leakage resistor 52.

Relay coil 51 controls a double pole double throw switch with blades 54, 56. Contact 55b is a dummy contact. Contact 55a connects to the input side of rectifier diode bridge 53, the other side of which is connected to the A.C. source. The output of diode bridge 53 feeds relay coil 58 through a high pass circuit of series resistor 59 and parallel capacitor 60. Capacitor 60 is connected to the end of resistor 52.

Relay coil 58 energizes a double pole, double throw switch with blades 61, 63. Blade 63 is normally connected to contact 64b which connects to one side of the A.C. source. Contact 64a is a dummy contact. Blade 61 normally connects to contact 62b which connects to contact 57a of relay switch 56. Contact 62a is a dummy contact.

Contact 57b of relay switch 56 connects to one side of the output of rectifier diode bridge 65. The input is fed from the A.C. source through stepdown transformer 66. A filter circuit of resistor 67 and capacitor 68 is connected in parallel across the output of diode 65.

Switch 61 is connected to the contact pointer 69 of dial contact 70. Nine contact points A, B, C I are available on the dial corresponding to the nine banks of switch contacts hereinbefore described. (For simplicity only three banks, A, B, C, will be explained in the following description.)

The dial contacts lead to a series of contact switches. Each bank can make contact to six switches. Bank A has switches A A A A Similarly, bank B has switches B B B .B. (For simplicity only switches 1 and 6 are shown.) Contact A leads to switches A A contact B to switches B B and contact C to switches C C The end of all switches with a subscript 1 are connected to one end of relay coil 71. The end of switches with the subscript 6 are connected to relay coil 72. Similarly the other switches would be connected to relay coils.

The relay coils 71, 72 control single pole double throw switches 73, 74, respectively. Switch 73 is in an open state when connected to contact 75a. When relay 71 is energized, relay switch 73 closes onto contact 75b to complete the flow of current to a load 1 and energizes it. In series with load 1 is an A.C. supply 76 and one of the external plug-in connections 22 on the side of the unit (see FIG. 1).

When relay 72 is energized, switch 74 closes from its normally open connection at 77a onto 77b energizing load 6.

The other end of relays 71, 72 are connected to the output of diode bridge 65.

A second set of dial contacts 78 is provided in conjunction with 70. The two decks can be geared together or connected onto one deck with a double set of contacts. The contacts A, B, I, on dial 78, are connected to the neon lights 24a, 24b 24f, hereinbefore described. The end of the pointer 79 is connected to the A.C. source.

A step counter 26 is connected between the step button 30 and the A.C. source.

The stepper bank switch 34 connects to relay coil 8-0 which is coupled to arm 69 which wipes the contacts of switch 70. A filter circuit comprising resistor 81, diode arc suppressor 82, and capacitor 83, is in series with the relay 80. Similarly, switch 84 is closed each time the rotating drum switch 20 (FIG. 1) makes 60 steps. The closing of switch 84 energizes relay 85 through resistor 86 in parallel with diode arc suppressor 8-7 and capacitor 88. Relay 85 is coupled to arm 79 to advance it over the contacts of switch 78.

Reset button 36 when closed energizes relays 89, 90, which control arms 69, 79 to return them to their initial start positions.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the setting of the rotating switch will now be explained. Cam pins 16 are placed into the slots 18 of the rotating drum switch 12. Drum switch 12 has numerous undercuts 91 along the length thereof to facilitate placing the camming pins into their respective positions. At both ends of the drum are consecutively numbered markings 92, to locate the number of the step. The numbers go from 1 through 60. A knob 93 on one end permits manual advancement of the drum. The step drive 42 is connected to the drums for automatic operation of the system.

After the camming pins have been put in their proper position, the step button 30 is depressed for each cue. Depressing button 30 sends current through the step counter to advance the count by one. Rectifier circuit 41 is,.energized to activate the Ledex step drive and advance the drum switch. The presence of a cam contacts the adjacent switches A A At the same time, the Ledex system interrupts the current through relay 46 to deenergize it. Blades 47 and 49 close to positions 48b and 50b, respectively. Relay 51 is energized by blade 47 causing blades 54, 56 to close onto contacts 55a, 57a, respectively.

Blade 56 completes the circuit at the output of rectifier 65 sending a DC. pulse through blade 61 and contact 6211, the pointer 69 and the bank contact A to whichevery switch A A has been physically contacted by a camming pin. Transformer 66 steps down the 115 v. A.C. line potential to 24 v. A.C. and rectifier 65 changes it to a 24 V. DC. potential.

Blade 54 through contact 55a energizes rectifier 53. A voltage is built up across capacitor 60 which gradually energizes relay coil 58. Resistor 59 and capacitor 60 provide a delay action to the energizing of relay 58.

When relay 58 is fully energized, switches 61, 63, close contacts 62a, 64a, respectively. Blade 61 opens the circuit of the 24 v. D.C. being sent to the switches A A By selecting resistor 59 to be 18009 and capacitor 60 of 50 ,uf., we obtain a .150 sec pulse of 24 V. DC. sent to switches A A This pulse energizes the electrical apparatus connected to it. In the case of a slide projector, a single pulse will cause the advancement of the next slide. In the case of lights, relays 71, 72, would be a holding relay which would remain closed until the appearance of a next pulse a few steps later which would be the instruction for extinguishing the lights. To handle heavy loads an intermediate external relay may be interposed between relays 71, 72 and the load.

When blade 63 closes onto 64a, the rectifier becomes deenergized. The current on capacitor 60 is permitted to dissipate through resistor 52, contact 50a, switch 49.

This process continues for 60 advances of the rotating drum switch. At the 61st step, switch 84 closes energizing coils 80, 85, and advancing the step switches 70, 78, to the next contact, which introduces the next bank.

The system as described has been limited to usage with six apparatus since the corresponding switches of each bank, A, B, C, have been interconnected. This resulted in sixty times 9 or 540 possible commands for each device. However, since there are 54 individual switches, it is possible to connect 54 individual apparatus and have sixty available commands for each apparatus. After the ninth bank has been traversed, the stepper advances to contact I and relay 110 closes contact 110a to complete a circuit to the reset bus to return the arm to the starting position. The same relay 110 will close contact 11% to actuate an external like cascade unit to provide another 540 cue capacity. In turn the cascaded unit can be used to turn on a successive cascaded unit, and so on.

Manual turning of the rotating drums can be accomplished. If the drum is manually rotated by means of knob 93, the camming pins are caused to contact the switches A A However, no pulse will be sent through the system since relay 46 will not be interrupted. This permits the programmer to manually turn the knob to being at a specific cue member wihtin a particular bank and still not affect the program or the apparatus.

Although the system, as described, was controlled manually by means of the step button, the system can also be controlled completely automatically. Bypass switch 101 is included to bypass the manual button and connect an electrical apparatus for conducting the stepping operation. A pulse timer or clock timer can be used if the cues are set on a specific time-controlled arrangement. A tape recorder can be also used where automatic signals are sent at specified cue points.

The drum can be secured in the equipment by openable latching means such as the latching means used in removably securing the platen in typewriters. This permits the storage of preprogrammed drums for future use or for extending the capability of a unit.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A programmed device .for controlling the operation of external electrical apparatus, comprising:

(a) a rotating drum switch having a plurality of slots;

(b) contacting pins for insertion into said slots at desired positions;

(c) a series of individual switches set to physically contact said contacting pins and each electrically conneted to one of said electrical apparatus, said series of individual switches being grouped into n banks each having n consecutively numbered switches within it, wherein corresponding numbered switches of each bank are connected to the identical external apparatus;

(d) controlling means set to rotate said drum switch at single slot intervals whereby at each interval said inserted pins contact adjacent ones of said individual switches forming a closed electric path;

(e) a timing relay device for sending a timed pulse through said closed electric path thus energizing the external electrical apparatus; and

(f) a section selector switch with connections to each of said "11 banks of switches, "11 visual indicators each representing the activization of a corresponding one of said n banks, and an advance contact switch whereby at the conclusion of a complete rotation of said drum switch the next adjacent bank is automatically energized.

2. A device as in claim 1 further including a manual advance knob connected to said section selector switch for manually selecting a specific bank for activization.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,907,995 10/1959 Justus 340338 X 3,330,917 7/ 1967 Grundfest ZOO-38 JOHN W. CALDWELL, Primary Examiner M. R. SLO'BASKY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

